The effect of altitude of seed production on potato seed vigour

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Abstract

Seed potatoes, variety Anett, were raised at
three different altitudes: Thika (1440 m), Kabete
(1800 m) and Limuru (2225 m) and at each site in
soil transported from the other sites in large tins;
in two seasons. The seed raised at all sites was
planted the following season at Kabete for ware
production.
In the first experiment, Limuru site yielded
the highest number of tubers and fresh weight of
tubers, followed by Thika site despite the fact that
plants at Thika had shown a more vigorous vegetative
growth than Limuru plants. In the second experiment,
Thika site yielded the lowest number of tubers and
fresh weight of tubers per plant. Limuru site
yielded the largest number of tubers but Kabete
yielded the highest fresh weight of tubers per plant ..
In storage, seed tubers from Thika were the
first to sprout, yet their sprout length and number
of sprouts were the least. Limuru seeds sprouted
last and had the highest sprout number and length,
but these were not significantly different from
those of Kabete seed.
In the field, plants from Limuru seed were
the first to emerge, followed closely by plants
from Kabete seed. Plants from Thika seed were the
last to emerge and showed a poorer vegetative
growth than plants from Limuru and Kabete seeds.
The plants from Thika seed senesced earlier
than those from Limuru and Kabete seeds.
In the first experiment, the final ware yield
was highest in plants descended from Limuru seed and
lowest in plants from Thika seed. In the second
experiment, plants from Limuru seed yielded the
highest number of tubers, but plants from Kabete seed
yielded the highest fresh weight of tubers. The
lowest yield was obtained from plants descended from
Thika seed.
It was concluded that in Kenya seed potatoes
perform better if raised in the medium and high
altitudes above 1400 m.